Pan gripper price card support



March 18, 1958 c, HOOFER- 2,826,841

PAN GRIPPER PRICE CARD SUPPORT Filed Feb. 1, 1955 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

\ ATTORNEYS v March 18, 1958 c. F. HOOFER 2,826,841

PAN GRIPPER PRICE CARD SUPPORT Filed Feb. 1, 1955" 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I myaw a A'ITD RN EYE United States Patent PAN GRIPPER PRICE CARD SUPPORT Charles F. Hoofer, Chicago, Ill; Application February 1, 1955, Serial No. 485,431 1 Claim. (Cl. 40-11 This invention relates to clips or spring actuated brackets for supporting price tags on edges of pans, trays, and the like and particularly pans in which meat is displayed in counters, and in particular, a bracket having spring actuated gripping elements on the lower end with clips for holding cards adjustably mounted on a vertically disposed part thereof whereby with the spring gripping elements snapped over an edge of a pan a price tag is displayed above an edge of the pan.

The price card support of this invention is an improvement over the price card holder of my prior Patent No. 2,276,490 and also over the price tag support of my prior Iatent No. 2,679,121 in that the card holding elements are supported by a U-shaped member with arms having coil springs incorporated therein extended from lower ends of the bars wherein the spring clip of Patent No. 2,276,490 is integral with the support for the card holding elements and wherein the lower end of the supporting element of Patent No. 2,679,121 is designed to snap over a head of a rivet the spring clip of this improved support is adapted to be readily snapped over 2. rolled edge ofa tray or pan.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a price tag support adapted to hold cards with prices thereon which is adapted to grip cards of different sizes and which is also adapted to be readily snapped on an edge of a pan with the card holding elements extended upwardly;

v Various types of price card supports have been provided, however, it is difficult to design a support of this type that is adapted for universal use because pans and trays in which articles are displayed are formed of different shapes and designs and a clip or bracket that functions properly on one pan is not adapted to be used on a differenttype of pan. With this thought in mind, this invention contemplates a-bracket having gripping elements extended from coils at the lower end with card receiving clips on the intermediate part and with a slider having card receiving clips on the upper end thereof slidably mounted on the bracket and positioned to coact with the clips on the intermediate part of the bracket for retaining a card in a position for displaying a group of figures'indicating the price of an article whereby with I the gripping elements snapped over an edge of a container the price of an article in--the container is readily The object of this invention is, therefore, to provide gripping elements for a price card holding bracket whereby the same elements are adapted to grip pans having edges of dilferent types and designs.

Another object of the invention is to provide a price card displaying bracket having spring actuated gripping elements on the lower end in which the bracket is adapted to be used on pans, trays, and other containers now in use without changing parts of the containers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a price card supporting bracket which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view,

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2 I the invention embodies an elongated strand of material bent about midway of its length and folded to provide side bars with coils extended from lower ends of the bars and with horizontally disposed gripping elements extended from ends of the coils and connected to provide a U-shaped gripping element, a stationary plate having clips on the lower end positioned against and crimped around the side bars and upper end of the bracket, and a slider having clips on upper ends of parts thereof positioned against the face of the plate secured to the side bars of the bracket and adjustably retained in position with a thumb nut threaded on a stud extended through the slider and also through an elongated slot in the plate.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Figure l is a longitudinal section through a pan such as used for displaying meat in a counter showing the price card support temporarily mounted on an end of the pan.

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the improved price card support, the parts being shown on an enlarged scale.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section through the price card support or bracket taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a front elevational view similar to that shown in Figure 2 illustrating a modification wherein a plate is shown with a flat finger which extends into the slot above the threaded stud to provide a guide.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of the bracket with the parts as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the slider shown in Figure 2, other parts of the bracket being omitted.

Figure 7 is an edge elevational view of the slider as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a front elevational view showingthe plate or slider of the type shown in Figure 4.

Figure 9 is an edge elevational view of the plate shown in Figure 8. V

Figure 10 is an exploded view illustrating a threaded stud, nut and washer assembly such as is adapted to be used for clamping the slider or movable plate in position upon a stationary plate of the bracket.

Figure 11 is a-front elevational view illustrating a further modification wherein a slider is clamped in adjusted positions with a lever pivotally mounted on a pin extended through the rear portion of the slider.

Figure 12 is a vertical section through the clamping means of the slider shown in Figure 11' being taken on line 1212 of Figure 11 and showing the parts on an enlarged scale.

Figure 13 is a rear elevational view illustrating the clamp shown in Figures 11 and 12 by which the slider is secured in position upon the plate.

Figure 14 is a section taken on line 14-14 of Figure 12 With the parts shown on an enlarged scale and .illustrating the 'U formation of a clamping lever for securing the slider to the plate upon which the slider is mounted.

' Figure 15 is a front elevational view showing a further modification wherein the price card bracket is provided with a frame and the frame is provided with openings through which tabs on a price card may be inserted.

Figure 16 is a vertical section taken on line 1616 of Figure 15 illustrating the construction of the frame holding elements of Figure 15.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denote corresponding parts, the price card supporting bracket of this invention includes a frame having side bars 10 and 11 with a horizontally disposed section 12 at the upper end and a U-shaped gripping element 13 extended from coils 14 and 15, at the lower end, a plate 16 having an elongated slot 17 therein, and

3 a slider 18 adjustably secured to the plate 16 with a threaded stud 19, a nut 20 and a washer 21, a tip 22 of the stud being secured in the slider 18 by peening the end of the tip over the slider as shown at the point 23 in Figure 3.

The side bars and 11 extend downwardly, in parallel relatiom topoints 24 and 25, at which points the bars are formed with arcuate sections from Which arms including sections 26 and'27 extend, the sections 27 being connected to ends of the coils 14 and and the opposite ends of the coils being connected to the U-shaped clip or member 13 with side sections 28 and 29.

Sides 30 and 31 of the plate 16 are crimped around the side bars 10 and 11, as shown in Figure 2, and a flange 32 at the upper end is crimped over the section 12 of thebracket which connects the side bars 10 and 11 at the upper end. The lower portion of the plate 16 is formed withprojections 33 and 34 and the lower ends of the projections are bent upwardly forming clips 35 and 36, respectively, that are positioned to receive the lower edge of a price card.

The slide 18 is provided with projections 37 and 33 on the upper ends of which clips 39 and 40 are provided and the clips 39 and 40 are positioned to coact with the clips 35 and 36 for retaining a price card in position upon the bracket. The lower end of the slides is provided with a finger 41 that extends into the slot 17 to i provide a guide.

In the design illustrated in Figures 4, 5, 8 and 9, a bracket having side bars 42 with coils 43 and 44 and a U-shapcd gripping element 45 at the lower end, sirnilar to corresponding parts of the bracket shown in Figures 2 and 3, is provided and in this design a slider 46 is secured to a plate 47, similar to the plate 16, with a stud 48 and nut 49, and the slider 46 is provided with a flatfin'ger 50 that is struck from an opening 51 therein and that is positioned to extend through a slot 52 in the plate 47, similar to the slot 17 of the plate 16.

The finger 50, which is positioned above the stud 48, extends into the slot 52 and provides a guide to permit maximum downward movement of the slider 46.

The slider 46 is also provided with clips 53 and 54 that are positioned to coact with clips 55 and 56 on the lower end of the plate 47 whereby a price card may be clamped between the clips.

The stud 19 is provided with a head 57 that is positioned in a recessin the end of the nut 20.

In the bracket illustrated in Figures 11, 12, 13 and 14, a bracket having side bars 58, coil springs 59 and 60, a U-shaped gripping member 61, and a plate 62 is provided and, in this design, a slider 63 having a V-shaped loop formed with extended side sections 64 and 65 is adapted to be clamped to the plate 62 with a lever 66 having a pin 67 extended through side plates 68 and 69 and the v shaped loop formed with the sections 64 and 65. In this design the sections 64 and 65 are struck from an opening 70 in the slider 63 and the upper end of the slider is provided with clips 71 and 72 that are positioned to coact with similar clips 73 and 74 on the lower end of the plate 62.

In the design illustrated in Figures 15 and 16, a bracket having side bars 75 and 76 with spring coils 77 and 78 connected with a U-shaped gripping element 79 is provided and, in this design, a plate 80, which is crimped over the side bars 75 and 76 and connecting section 31 at the upper end as shown at the point 82, is secured to a plate 83 with hollow rivets 84 and 85, the ends of which are peened over the plates 50 and 83, respectively, as shown in Figure 16 and, in this design, tabs 36 extended from edges of a price card 87 extend through openings or slots 83 in the plate 83. As illustrated in Figures 15 and 16, the plate 83 is provided with a continuous frame 89 that is substantially semi-circular in cross section.

With the price card holding bracket formed as illustrated and described, the supporting frame including a plate, such as the plate 16 secured to side bars 10 and 11 and provided with gripping elements actuated by the coil springs 14 and 15, is adapted to be positioned on a side of a pan, such as the pan 9%, the gripping elements being rctrained by spring inherent in the coils 14 and 15 over a rim or bend 91; and with the bracket supported to extend upwardly, as illustrated in Figure 1, price cards, or the like, may be gripped between the clips, such as the clips 35 and 36 at the bottom and 39 and 40 at the top so that numerals or other indicia thereon will be displayed.

The price card gripping elements may also be formed as illustrated in Figures 4 and 5 or as shown in Figures 1 1, l2 and 13, and also as shown in Figures 15 and 16.

By this means the bracket may be removed from one pan and placed upon another and may readily be used as desired.

It will be understood that modifications, within the scope of the appended claim, may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a price card support, the combination which comprises an inverted U-shaped frame having spaced parallel side bars connected at their upper ends with a horizontally disposed section and having spring clips extended from lower ends thereof for mounting the support on a rolled rim of a pan, a vertically disposed elongated plate having crimped edges extended around the side bars of the frame slidably mounting the plate on the frame, said plate having an elongated longitudinally disposed slot positioned in the central portion thereof and also having card holding clips on the lower end and extended from the sides thereof, a slider positioned against the face of the plate and having inverted card holding clips on the upper end, said inverted card holding clips of the slider being positioned to coact with the card holding clips of the plate to retain a price card on the support, and a stud having a thumb nut thereon extended through the slider and slot of the plate for clamping the slider in adjusted position on the plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,048,906 Webster July 28, 1936 2,171,350 Anderson Aug. 29, 1939 2,276,490 Hoofer Mar. 17, 1942 2,679,121 Hooter May 25, 1954 

